


Shadowfall's Demise

by Zeldonyx_Hangie_Skypotter



Category: Warriors - Erin Hunter, Wings of Fire - Tui T. Sutherland
Genre: Its based off of Wings Of Fire (a little bit), Other, all of these are OCs - Freeform, i know its terrible but go easy on me, this is in my own Warriors universe, this is the origin for my other warriors stuff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-12
Updated: 2018-04-19
Packaged: 2019-03-17 01:54:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 7,369
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13649013
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zeldonyx_Hangie_Skypotter/pseuds/Zeldonyx_Hangie_Skypotter
Summary: This is the story of how it all began. Well, in my universe, anyways.





	1. Allegiances

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This is a free write for my school classes, but I thought I should post it on here. So, yeah. I'm always open to constructive criticism to better my skills, but go easy! Oh, and this has nothing to do with the books at all. Have fun reading! Bye!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im restarting and here's the allegiances

**ALLEGIANCES-**

 

**LAGOONCLAN-**

**LEADER-**

**Tidestar-** large blue tom with white paws and deep blue eyes

**DEPUTY-**

**Featherstripe-** small blue-grey tabby she-cat with green eyes

**WARRIORS-**

**Thistlewhisker-** stocky tan tom with black stripes and brown spots

**Stormscar-** pale grey tom with deep blue stripes and a long

scar running across his shoulder blades

**Nightmist-** black she-cat with pale blue spots

**Jaggedlight-** white tom with light blue and yellow stripes

**Gingerwing-** soft-furred ginger-tan she-cat with white paws

**Copperflight-** ginger-orange tom with a white underbelly

**Swallowbreeze-** indigo-blue she-cat with dark hazel eyes

**APPRENTICES-**

**Rushpaw-** brown tom with grey flecks and warm brown eyes

**Petalpaw-** sky blue she-cat with indigo splotches and green eyes

**Cloverpaw-** dark green she-cat with white spots and amber eyes

**Baypaw-** deep blue tom with white speckle-stripes and teal eyes

**QUEENS-**

**Hollybrook-** dark green she-cat with white and tan spots

(mother of Dawnkit and Ebonykit)

**ELDERS-**

**Herringspots-** Pale teal-grey tom with dark flecks and yellow eyes

 

 

**RIPPLECLAN-**

**LEADER-**

**Streamstar-** pale blue she-cat with white streaks and brown spots

**DEPUTY-**

**Specklebrook-** dark blue-grey she-cat with white splotches

**WARRIORS-**

**Shadefang-** dark red tom with black stripes

**Riverfrost-** pale blue she-cat with yellow eyes

**Springshine-** blue she-cat with white paws and ears

**Mudwhisker-** dark reddish-brown tom with yellow eyes

**Dayglow-** pale yellow she-cat with white stripes and blue eyes

**Goldenfang-** Yellow-orange tom with bright amber eyes

**APPRENTICES-**  

**Puddlepaw-** grey she-cat with light blue splotches and blue eyes

**Lightpaw-** pale yellow she-cat with orange stripes and white paws

**Duskpaw-** deep blue she-cat with white paws and yellow eyes

**Vinepaw-** dark brown tom with emerald green eyes

**Briarpaw-** reddish brown she-cat with hazel eyes

**QUEENS-**

**Silverstone** \- light grey she-cat with dark blue and grey splotches

and green eyes (mother of Splashkit, Rainkit, and Slatekit)

**Cherrysky-** dark red she-cat with white speckles and bright green eyes (mother of Rustkit and Honeykit)

**ELDERS-**

**Cedarsnout-** pale reddish-tan tom with a dark brown muzzle

**Darkshadow-** deep blue tom with black splotches

  


**CATS OUTSIDE THE CLANS-**

**Galaxyheart-** Inky black tom with galaxy-like swirls and splotches of color all over his pelt with quicksilver-colored eyes

**Stardust-** Dark purple she-cat with blue, pink and white spots and speckles with a white underbelly, paws, muzzle, and tail-tip. Her wings are white with purple, blue, and pink speckles (mother of Sunkit, Moonkit, and Shadowkit)

**Moonkit** \- pale grey she-cat with dark grey patches, white starburst patterns, grey-black spots, and pale blue eyes

**Sunkit** \- yellow-orange she cat with pale yellow paws, tail, muzzle, eye rings, and underbelly and dark reddish-orange eyes

**Shadowkit** \- grey tom with blood-red, gold, and silver eyes with a patch of black on the center of his chest

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> comments and kudos are always appreciated!


	2. Prologue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is the prologue now

_ The she-cat knew this would be _ her first and last litter. She also knew it would be special. Her mate brought her soaked moss to the hollow oak tree they lived in. The quiet, tree rimmed clearing was dappled with late-afternoon light, with a softly murmuring stream running down the side.  _ What a beautiful place to raise a litter,  _ the she-cat thought. A shudder of pain ripped through her body.  _ It’s time… _

Some time later, a tiny, damp bundle of fur lay in the curve of her belly, a she-kit. The she-kit’s pelt was a swirling galaxy of color,  each fading gently into the next in a perfect repetition. The white of her muzzle, underbelly, paws, and tail tip only added to her beautiful appearance.  _ What are those strange white lumps on her back?  _ Her mother wondered.  _ I don’t care. I love her anyways, now and forever. _

“Oh, Silver, look at her. Look at her pelt. She’s perfect.” her mother purred. 

“Of course she is. Gold, she is your daughter, after all.” Silver mewed back.

A gust of wind blew through the glade. A small, pure white feather swirled and danced in 

 

the breeze, fluttering to a stop on the she-kit’s nose. She sneezed, almost smacking her nose on the mossy ground. The kickback caused her wings to open. Her parents gasped, eyes wide, mouths agape. The kit opened her eyes, gazing up at her parents with rapt wonder. Her wings were pure white with speckles of deep purple, blue and pink to match her pelt beautifully. She grinned and flapped her tiny wings, purring softly.

“What in the name of StarClan? Why are her eyes open? Why is her pelt like that? _Why does she have_ _wings?_ ” Silver gasped, too shocked to move.

“I don't know, Silver. I don't know. But she is our kit, and we  _ will _ love her just the way she is. Right?” Gold said with a glint in her eye that meant:  _ Don't mess with me if you know what's good for you. _

“Y-yes. Of course, dear.” Silver mewed. “What should we name her?”

“Hmm. How about… Starkit?” Gold purred her kit’s name with all the motherly adoration she could muster. “Yes, Starkit. That’s perfect for her. _Starkit._ ”

Starkit looked up at her parents and grinned softly, wings fluttering gently at her sides. She already loved her them as much as any newborn kit could. She loved the cool breeze in her fur and feathers, the earthy, flowery smells of the clearing, and the warmth of the sun on her face. Half-formed thoughts swirled and danced across her young brain, chanting one thing in particular:  _ Starkit. Starkit. Starkit. STARKIT… _


	3. Chapter One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> this is new and improved chapter one

_ Stardust sat on the cliff edge, _ staring into the deep blue of the tossing waves.  _ Oh, what will I do for my kits when they come? The eclipse… The hurricane… The prophecy… “A darkness falls to be crushed by itself under the hate of ages. Stars will turn to dust under the claws of the shadows.”  _ She thought to herself, a worm of anxiety twisting itself through her belly. She was so caught up in her worried thoughts, she didn’t notice her mate coming up behind her.

_ “Stardust. Listen to me _ . I know that you’re worrying about them.” Galaxyheart ignored her squeak of protest and kept talking. “Our kits will be  _ fine _ . That rock-brained cat with his meaningless prophecy and prediction doesn’t matter.  Not to  _ us _ .” He murmured sternly. His swirling silver eyes glowed in the sunlight, full of with love and concern for his mate.

“Yes, I know, I know. But still...” Stardust mewed back.

“No. Destiny is a trivial thing, and I don’t believe in it. Nothing but our own decisions change our lives. You  _ must _ believe me.” 

“But-”

“ _ No. _ ”

“Alright. But I’ll still worry about them, prophecy or not.” Stardust sighed.

“I know you will, even though you shouldn’t. That’s one of the things I love about you, even if it can be very insufferable at times.” Galaxyheart purred, gently licking Stardust’s ears. She gave an amused sigh and nestled into her mate’s fluffy mane of neck fur, finally content.

  
  


A few moons passed, and Stardust knew she would have her kits very soon; her belly was absolutely huge. Being that big meant she couldn’t move or react as fast, she couldn’t swim, and she even had trouble, which made her tired and grumpy. She knew this, but it did not mean she was to be a helpless lump in her nest, not allowed to move.

“ _ Galaxyheart.  _ Let me hunt for  _ myself _ . You don’t need to, I’m  _ perfectly capable _ .” Stardust mewed, gazing at her mate, who was looking a little worse for wear. “Look at you; you’re running yourself ragged. You need to  _ calm down. _ ”

“But I’m just trying to help you and keep you safe, you hypocrite! When you worry, I’m supposed to let you, but when it comes to you, I’m  _ not allowed to worry! _ ” He mewed back indignantly. “And  _ no _ , you are  _ not  _ going to hunt for yourself, you need to  _ rest! _ ”

“Well, then let me get new lining for my nest. Let me do  _ something  _ other than going  _ crazy  _ cooped up here.” Stardust huffed, defeated.

“I suppose… but only if you let me do any and all of the heavy lifting. I’m not letting you hurt yourself.” Galaxyheart said.

“Fine. But let's go!” Stardust heaved herself to her feet and trotted out of the den.

 

The den clearing was near the edge of a small cliff overlooking an ocean. The green grass was dotted with various herbs and wildflowers that swayed gently in the salty air. The pebbly beach was a short walk away, visible from the cliff, as it wrapped around their shoreline for as long as the eye could see. Sea glass was mixed in with all the rocks, creating rainbows of color every day the sun shines. Small alcoves dotted the underside of the cliff, creating sheltered lagoons and small pools that filled in at high tide. The area was great for hunting small fish or birds trying to catch food themselves without getting eaten. Palm, banana, mango, and koa trees line the coast and stretch inland for miles. Stardust absolutely loved it here, and so did Galaxyheart. The palm fronds were usually low enough to be easily pulled from the trees, and they were great for making dens waterproof. It was molting season for the seagulls, so down feathers littered the ground under their nests to make perfectly soft nest lining. 

“Come on Galaxyheart, you absolute sea cucumber.” Stardust purred, galumphing down the slope, fur waving in the wind.

“Slow  _ down _ , Stardust, wait for me! You’re going too fast!” Galaxyheart called after her.

“I will  _ not _ slow down, Galaxyheart. I can run just fine, just watch!”

“ _ Wait! _ ”

Stardust was so caught up in teasing her mate that she didn't notice the small fallen tree in front of her. Her amused expression turned to one of shock as she tripped over a wayward branch and went tumbling ears over paws the rest of the way down the hill.

“ _ Stardust!  _ Are you okay? What happened?  _ Hello? _ ” Galaxyheart yowled, racing down the 

hill where his mate lay gasping for air and with pain.

“I- I’m okay, I think… I don’t think I’m hurt…” Stardust mewed, trying to stand. Her fur was a little ruffled, but she was seemingly unharmed. As she took a step toward Galaxyheart, her front left foreleg gave out from underneath her.

“ _ OW!  _ Oh,  _ fish guts _ , I think I pulled something. Does it look like it to you?” Stardust held out her foreleg to her mate for him to look at it.

“I’m not sure how bad you’re hurt, but one thing’s for certain; you are going  _ no farther  _ from the den because that’s where  _ you’re _ going  _ right now. _ ” Galaxyheart said sternly, helping Stardust hop back to their den. He made sure she was comfortable before he went back outside to collect nest material for her.

 

While he was out, the sky began to darken. This was strange, as it was sunhigh on a beautifully clear day. The sun was, or at least was supposed to be, directly overhead. But Galaxyheart had forgotten what that day was. It was the day that the prophet, Soul Of The Rock, had predicted the eclipse, as well as the big hurricane. Galaxyheart had collected a lot of down and other nest materials, so he decided to head back to the nest to tell Stardust about the strange occurrences outside. The trip took longer than it should have, as the sudden and powerful wind made it very hard to walk for a small cat like Galaxyheart. He struggled back to the den, windblown, shivering, and looking even more disheveled than usual.

“Do you hear that wind outside Stardust? What’s going on? Why’s it so dark?” Galaxyheart gasped after dropping the feathers and such.

“Did you forget?” Stardust muttered, “Did you forget what he said? Soul Of The Rock?” Galaxyheart gasped in shock, memories flooding back. “There’s to be an eclipse. And a hurricane. _During_ the eclipse. I’m to have my kits too.” 

“That was  _ today?  _ I- I completely forgot! What- what can I do for you? Anything? At all? Oh,  _ fish guts _ , should I catch you some prey? Are you thirsty?” Galaxyheart rambled on, pacing.

“No- just say here with me. You can hunt later.” Stardust rasped, shudders already ripping through her body. “I’m going to be kitting soon, so find me a stick to bite on to when the worst of the pain comes. Now all you can do is wait and be supportive.”

“Alright. I’ll keep tabs on this awful hurricane too.” Galaxyheart murmured, laying down by his mate and staring out of the den into the swirling winds  whose voices seemed to whisper ominously of things to come .


	4. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> chapter three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here comes shadowkit!!

“The storm’s getting worse.” Galaxyheart said, stating the obvious. He glanced back at his mate, looking down to admire his two daughters. “They’re beautiful, and they have wings just like you. What should we name them?”

Stardust shifted, wings rustling, and the two she-kits mewled in protest, their own gangly wings battling for room. She pointed to the pale grey one with her good paw. “This one looks like a full moon on a cloudless night. Her name should be Moonkit. And her sister will be Sunkit. She looks like the sun at dawn.” 

“Oh, Stardust, their names are perfect… I love them… But this storm isn’t getting any better. It’s really dark, with the eclipse too.” Galaxyheart mewed. Then he paused, looking confused. “Wasn’t there… one more kit? Or am I imagining things?”

“No, I’m sure it’s just these two she-kits.” Stardust replied. She looked a little 

uncomfortable, and Galaxyheart asked: “Are you okay? Do you need anything?”

“I’m thirsty, but I don’t want you to leave to get me moss…” Stardust murmured.

“No, I’m OK, I can get you some moss. It’ll be drenched and I can get more water by just setting it outside! I won’t be gone for long.” Galaxyheart heaved himself to his feet and walked out of the den. He immediately stopped, because in a split second, he was soaked to the bone.

“Are you sure you can’t just step outside and open your mouth?” Galaxyheart yelled over the wind. This earned him a hearty glare from Stardust. “Well, I guess that answers my question. I’ll be back soon with your water. Don’t go anywhere!” He bounded off into the storm.

Stardust shook her head, rolling her eyes in exasperation. “‘ _ Don't go anywhere!’ _ He says. Like I’m going for a walk when I have two kits to feed. That seal brain. He’ll probably take forever because he can never find any good moss. So I’ll have to wait.” Stardust said to herself, yawning. “I guess I’ll take a  nap instead of just waiting.” She checked to make sure that her kits were safe. Yes, she knew that the prophecy was completely out of her control, but she still wanted to do everything in her power to keep them as secure as she could. Sighing, she curled her wings around them, laid her head down, and went to sleep.

  
  


Stardust woke up some time later to an empty den. Her kits were asleep at her side, their tiny furry bodies rising and falling in sync. Stardust saw no sign that Galaxyheart had come back.

“Galaxyheart? Hello? Are you there?” She blinked her eyes to see better in the pitch darkness. She gasped when she saw that a massive tree had fallen very close to the den entrance. She yowled her mate’s name again, this time even more worried about his fate. “ _ Galaxyheart! Where are you? _ ” A small black lump of leaves and other debris by the tree stirred. A particularly large limb lay across it, looking sharp and deadly.

“Galaxyheart? Is that  _ you? _ ” Stardust screeched, hardly caring that her kits were now 

awake. The lump moved again, but with more power. The wind carried a thin meow to Stardust.

“ _ Stardust…”  _ Galaxyheart mewed faintly.

“ _ Galaxyheart!  _ Hold on! I’m  _ coming! _ ” Stardust heaved herself to her feet, gently pushing her kits deep into the nest so they wouldn’t follow her or freeze to death. Stardust trudged out of the den, being very careful of the dagger-like branches swaying violently in the wind. She kept calling out to her mate, making sure he was still alive.

She found the lump and hurriedly peeled the lightest limbs off him. She was still weak from kitting, she still had an injured paw, and she didn’t want to hurt herself or her mate. She managed to break enough small branches and push the whole bough out of the way so that Galaxyheart could get up on his feet.

“Galaxyheart? You can get up now. Hello?” Stardust said in what she thought was his ear.

“ _No…_ _I’m hurt… Really bad… You’ll need to help me back to the den..._ ” Galaxyheart coughed, rolling over. And he wasn’t lying when he said he was hurt. A massive gash ran the length of his left side, a wide river of blood against his matted, waterlogged fur. His left ear was torn off and so was half of his tail. One of his silver eyes glowed only as a bloody slit. Stardust could not believe this, not at all. 

“Oh,  _ Galaxyheart _ , what  _ happened? _ ” Stardust fretted, trying to clear the way to the den.

“ _ That doesn’t matter right now. Just get me to the den. _ ” Galaxyheart murmured, trying to stand, and falling back down. 

“Ok, ok, just- Can you stand?” Stardust asked, trying to help him up. 

“Maybe… But just  _ be careful of my side _ …” Galaxyheart coughed, heaving himself painfully to his feet and falling against his mate on his good side.

“Alright, here we go, let's get you to the den.” Stardust mewed soothingly, guiding Galaxyheart to their den, carefully avoiding all the sharp branches and puddles of cold, murky water while making sure Galaxyheart didn’t fall over.

Galaxyheart limped slowly by her side, wincing everytime weight  hit his left side. 

“Are you sure you’re able to walk?” Stardust said, stopping and looking at Galaxyheart. 

“Yes, I’m sure. Let's go” Galaxyheart said, his pained look saying otherwise.

“Alright, we’re almost there… here. There you go, in the den, nice and easy, ok, ok.” Stardust eased Galaxyheart into his nest, saying comforting words all the way. 

As Galaxyheart was sitting down, he let out a shocked mew. “What was  _ that?  _ There’s something underneath me! I think it's a  _ kit _ , Stardust, move it!”

“No there isn’t, they’re both over here. You must have sat on some moss or something…” Stardust gave her mate a skeptical look

“Stardust, I’m sure it's a kit; I heard something squeak when I sat down and whatever it is really fluffy. Now get it out from underneath my tail so I can lay down.” Galaxyheart wobbled on his feet, as he didn’t have the energy to stand upright for very long.

Stardust rolled her eyes. “Alright fine, I’ll get this  _ kit _ out from underneath you, if it actually is one.” She leaned over to look at the spot in the nest that was giving Galaxyheart trouble and saw a tiny black lump laying half under the top nest layer. She let out a screech when she saw it move and open its eyes. It  _ was _ a kit. And his eyes were  _ red. _

“Oh my StarClan, you’re right! It is a kit! Oh, the poor thing’s freezing, but he's alive.” Stardust grabbed the kit by the scruff of the neck and put it down between Sunkit and Moonkit. As it was being moved, he squeaked softly and staretd to squirm. This caused a pair of small feathery wings to furl open and flap gently. Stardust nearly dropped him in shock, realizing that this was in fact one of her kits, the one Galaxyheart thought was there but she did not.

“See? I told you there was one more, now didn’t I?” Galaxyheart wheezed as he lay down on his side of the nest, closing his eyes, and falling asleep. And Stardust let him, as the poor tom had quite a long and exhausting day. Stardust was frantic, however. Her kit was half-dead and freezing, and his sisters were mewling very loudly, as they needed warmth and food too. Stardust nestled him between his sisters, noting how dark his pelt was.

“Hmm. I think I’ll name you Shadowkit. You blend in with them quite well, little one. And I’m sure your father will love your name. He’d love you with any name, no matter what. As I do. Now I’m gonna warm you up and feed you and never accidentally abandon you ever again.” Stardust murmured soothingly, nestling her son into the curve of her belly, trying to warm him up. He eventually perked up enough to have a little milk, and he went right to sleep afterwards. Stardust sighed as she watched the rain pour down outside. She glanced at her sleeping family and, content, she laid her head down and went to sleep as well.


	5. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> chapter three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> learning how to fly

_ About a moon had passed since _ the kits were born, and they were very adventerous. They loved to explore, often getting into trouble. Sunkit, being the oldest, usually captained their expeditions. Moonkit followed her out of loyalty, and Shadowkit went so he wasn’t left out. And every time they went outside, Sunkit had to talk about anything interesting she did when they got back, like catching a wayward leaf or jumping over a big puddle. She loved to be the center of attention, and Shadowkit couldn’t stand it, though Moonkit didn’t mind at all. By and by, they still had lots of fun, with and without supervision. Today, however, Stardust had a surprise for them. She was going to teach them how to fly. Galaxyheart would have been there, but the gash on his side wasn’t completely healed yet, and it hurt to walk. Galaxyheart thought it was infected, but no one else did. So, Stardust had left him at the den and brought Sunkit, Moonkit, and Shadowkit to Glass Beach for their flying lesson.

“Mooo _ ooom,   _ Moonkit won’t give me any space for my  _ wings _ , and you said that it was really important to stretch out before you try to fly,  _ right? _ ” Sunkit whined, glaring at her sister.

"Well, I  _ can't _ move from here because she  _ told _ me to sit  _ right exactly here _ . So there. Hows about  _ you _ move." Moonkit flattened her ears and stuck out her tongue.

"Can't you two stop bickering for once? I'm trying to hear what Stardust has to say. I want to learn how to use my wings sometime in the next  _ hundred moons _ , so  _ shut it! _ " Shadowkit hissed at his sisters. He was the smallest out of them all and wanted to prove his worth at flying.  _ If these sea cucumbers keep arguing then I won't be able to hear how to fly, _ thought Shadowkit.  _ I wish they'd shut their- _ His thoughts were interrupted by his mother silencing her daughters. 

"If you two can't quit that then none of you will learn anything. Sunkit, scooch left a little bit. Moonkit, move to your right. Shadowkit, dear, stay right where you are." They did as they were told, and they stretched out their wings.

"Alright. So the first thing you need to do is have your wings out, which you have already done." She demonstrated everything as she said it. "Now you need to crouch down so you can jump. Raise your wings up, then leap!” Stardust jumped into the air and swept her wings downward in one smooth movement. Small bits of the smooth glass around her were blown away by the force of her flight. She hovered in the air, waiting to see her kits do the same. 

Sunkit instantly sprang into the air, flapping her wings vigorously. She managed to stay aloft for a few seconds before toppling onto her sister. 

"Hey! Get offa me you fish-brain! I'm tryin’a fly here!" Moonkit wriggled under her sister, trying to get free. Beach stones flashed and clicked in her fight to be free. But their wing feathers had become an absolute tangled mess, and the more they struggled, the worse it got.

As for Shadowkit, however, he had done exactly what his mother did. He launched himself into the air and nearly ran into his mother. 

"What..? Shadowkit? Shadowkit! Look! You're flying!” Stardust exclaimed, shocked.

Shadowkit's momentum kept him at Stardust's eye level for a little bit longer, but then gravity took over. He started to fall, and Stardust yelled, "Flap your wings!" Shadowkit’s instincts had already kicked in, however, and he began fiercely pumping his wings to stay aloft.

"I- I'm doing it! Mom, look! Sunkit! Moonkit!  _ Look! _ " Shadowkit wobbled in the air, not quite in the rhythm there was when it comes to flying without falling. He was beaming from ear to ear, proud of himself for finally outdoing his sisters.  _ There. You see that? I'm just as good as you two, better even _ .  _ And I--  _ A rogue gust of wind caught the two of them by surprise. Stardust landed back on the ground with little effort, but Shadowkit was blown out of the sky and directly on top of his struggling sisters.

“Hey!” Moonkit yelped, not pleased with the extra weight on her back. 

“Sorry, sorry! I’m moving, keep your head on.” Shadowkit scrambled off them, tripping over Sunkit’s tail and putting a paw in her face.

“Move it! And get your dirty paw off of my face!” Sunkit shrieked, squirming, still trying to detach herself from her sister. 

“I’m going, just stop moving and I can go faster!” Shadowkit yowled back.

“Alright, you three, break it up.” Stardust walked over to her arguing kits. She grabbed Shadowkit by the scruff of his neck and deposited him at her side. “Sunkit, Moonkit, stop squirming and I can get you free.” The two of them did as they were told. Stardust slowly untangled their wings, being very careful not to pull out any feathers or dislocate a wing. After mild effort, the sisters were free to fly unhindered. Sunkit lept into the air with no hesitation, but she didn’t stay up for very long. Moonkit had a little more luck, as she managed to fly for a little longer. But none had stayed in the air as long as Shadowkit. Another gust of wind came through, and the kits struggled to stand. Stardust made a wise executive decision.

“Alright, you three, we’re going back to the den. Let's tell Galaxyheart of your success! I’m sure the good news will make his day better, even if he is feeling a little under the weather.” Stardust looked at each of her kits in turn, getting nods of approval one by one. The four of them then trekked up the hill to the den where Galaxyheart was sleeping.

“Galaxyheart!  _ Galaxyheart! _ Guess what! We  _ flew!  _ Well, sorta. You shoulda seen Shadowkit!” Moonkit bounced around her father, who jolted awake at the sound of her voice. Shadowkit smiled slightly at Moonkit’s praise. Sunkit jumped in, talking over her sister.

“He was flying  _ as high as Mom! _ It was  _ super cool! _ ” she said, turning to Shadowkit. “You gotta teach me how!” Moonkit appeared at her side, having stopped hopping about the den.

“Teach me too! Mom’s a great teacher, sure, but you’re just like us, you’ll know better. You can tell us exactly what you did!” She chimed in, getting a vigorous nod from Sunkit.

“W-well, I don't really know, maybe sometime. But I wanna get better at flying by myself before I teach you two. Maybe you can get another lesson from Mom…” Shadowkit stammered, before Galaxyheart cut in, yawning.

“This all sounds wonderful, but could we all calm down a little? I did just wake up, you know. How about you tell me whenever you’ve calmed down and I’ve woken up more, okay?” Galaxyheart stretched out each of his forelegs to remove the stiffness. He looked pointedly at Stardust, knowing she would back him up.

“Yes, Galaxyheart’s right. We need to calm down. You can tell him all about it in a little bit. For right now, just go easy on him; he’s still hurt.” Stardust swept her tail around her kits, drawing them close to her and away from their ailing father. They grumbled in annoyance, but the stern look they earned from Galaxyheart silenced them.

“Thank you  _ so much _ for listening to me.” He said with a grin. “Well, I suppose you can tell me about your flying lesson now that you’ve calmed down enough. What do you think, Stardust?” Galaxyheart looked up at his mate, who gave him a nod. 

“Alright then. Give me the play-by-play, and be sure to talk one at a time so I can hear all of your stories. Have fun!” Galaxyheart rested his head on his paws as he watched his kits launch into a very detailed description of their day.


	6. Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> chapter four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> apprenticeship and hunting

_ A few moons had passed since _ the kit's first flying lesson. They had all mastered the skill by now, as they were six moons old. Because of this, they were old enough to become apprentices and have the -paw suffix, symbolizing the new path their paws were on.

"Why do we need to do this ceremony? Can't you just give up our names now?" Sunkit whined, shifting from paw to paw in anticipation. Moonkit nodded in agreement, and Shadowkit yawned.

"We're doing this ceremony because it's important! My mother and father did this with me, and so did Galaxyheart's parents! Now you are going to sit still and go through with this!" Stardust snapped, sitting down and clearing her throat.

"Sunkit, Moonkit, Shadowkit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Sunpaw, Moonpaw, and Shadowpaw. Your mentors will be Galaxyheart and I. I hope we will pass down all we know onto you."

Stardust tapped each of their noses, and tipped her head back. "Sunpaw! Moonpaw! Shadowpaw!" 

" _ Sunpaw! Moonpaw! Shadowpaw! _ " Galaxyheart followed her lead. 

The three of them were ecstatic, eager to learn how to hunt, how to fight, how to  _ survive _ .

When her parents' cheers died down, Moonpaw asked, "When do we learn how to hunt?"

Stardust and Galaxyheart exchanged looks. "Right now is as good a time as any. Do you three want to go hunting?"

The new apprentices all screamed "YES!" at a the same time, so Stardust stood up and led them to the best hunting spot, the Crystal Pools, with Galaxyheart.

"Okay, so what you're going to want to do  is make sure that fish can't see your shadow. If they do, then they'll hide and you won't get them. The trick is to be facing the sun so your shadow is behind you. Each of you gets their own pool, and don't worry about the pool running out of prey; it replenishes every high tide. Now have fun and don't be discouraged if you don't get I first try." Stardust wove around the pools, critiquing and praising their efforts. Galaxyheart was fishing himself, and was very focused on his task. Shadowpaw stared intently at his pool, taking great heed to be facing the sun. He saw a small, fish-shaped blob dart around small rocks in the pool, and he zeroed in on it.

"Hey Mom, how do you get the fish out of the water?" Shadowkit murmured, not wanting to scare it away.

"Well, just stick your paw in the water really fast and hope you snag the fish. At least that's what I do." She whispered in his ear.

"Oh ok. I'll try that." Shadowkit found the blob again. He raised a paw, and faster than a cat could blink, his paw flashed into the water and came out with a tiny fish speared on his claws.

"Look, Mom, I got one!" He shrieked, amazed at his luck. Sunpaw and Moonpaw, however, had no fortune with hunting at all. Moonpaw never saw any impression of a fish. or an kind of prey for that matter. Sunpaw kept getting seen, albeit her shadow or her slow golden paws. They both seethed with jealousy that their brother outshone them again. But Shadowpaw didn't care about any of their problems. He had caught his first prey.

"Alright, alright. Let's go somewhere else to hunt. Maybe we'll have better luck in the forest. We can look for some mice or birds or something." Stardust stood up and called for Galaxyheart, who wasn't having any luck either. The group headed off into the woods to hunt.

Once they were far enough under the forest canopy, Stardust stopped and turned to her kits.

"The first thing you'll want to do is sit and listen. See if you can hear any movement." She whispered. The kits froze  and strained their ears for any signs of mice or birds.

Shadowpaw's ears perked up as he turned his head in the direction of a small bush. "Mom, I think I hear something! What do I  do?" Shadowpaw murmured excitedly.

"Great job, Shadowpaw! Now, you're supposed to creep towards the sound, sliding your paws on the ground to make no sound. Wait until you can see the prey before you pounce. If it gets away, try to give chase. But that's all the help I can give you. Hunting is mainly personal technique. Give it a go." Stardust shooed Sunpaw, Moonpaw, and Galaxyheart back to give Shadowpaw room. He immediately crouched, and crept forward by sliding his paws across the forest floor. He waited until he saw it: A small brown mouse. He froze. Shadowpaw tensed his muscles and jumped directly on top of the mouse. It squirmed under his paws.

“ _ What do I do now? _ ” He shrieked, terrified of accidently letting it free.

“Bite it’s neck! Kill it! Quickly!” Stardust said, standing and walking to his side.

Shadowpaw leaned down and nipped the mouse’s neck, killing it. It stopped writhing and fell still. Shadowpaw was beside himself with joy at having caught more prey. Sunpaw and Moonpaw were unbelievably jealous, as they hadn’t caught a thing. Eventually, however, Moonpaw ended up finding a bird with a broken wing, which she caught and killed. Sunpaw as not so lucky. The squirrel she tracked for nearly a half hour ended up seeing her and darting up a tree before she could catch it. She tried to climb after it, but she fell off of a weak branch and sprained her leg. Stardust was exhausted from giving praise and constructive criticism all day, as well as making sure Sunpaw’s leg wasn't broken. Tired, the hunting party headed home. Sunpaw whined and complained the whole way home, both about her leg and her horrible hunting luck. 

Shadowpaw didn’t pay any attention to her passive aggressive griping, however. He was extremely proud of himself for doing better than everyone, even Galaxyheart. It was only his first day of apprenticeship, but he was already well on his way to becoming a great warrior. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter 5 is on its way


	7. Chapter Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> chapter five

“I’m not hunting for him and you  _ can't make me! _ ”

“He is your  _ father _ , Shadowpaw! And I am your mother. You will do as I say!”

“He can hunt for himself, or he can get you and one of my birdbrain sisters to do it for him. But not me. I’m not doing anything else for him. And if you can’t take it, then I’m leaving. I’ll find one of the Clans you talk so much about and live there.” Shadowpaw stormed out of the den, seething with anger. His mother called after him, trying to bring him back. But he wasn't going to listen to her. She could be so  _ stupid _ sometimes. 

 

They had gotten into an argument about hunting for Galaxyheart, who could barely do it himself. His ruined eye, ear, and leg made it very hard to locate prey, and he needed his mate and kits’ help. Shadowfall didn’t see exactly why he had to hunt for him. If his father was old and weak, shouldn’t he stop dragging the rest of them down by keeping him alive? Wouldn’t it be better if he just let him die? That would leave one less mouth to feed and one less cat to take care of. Why his mother couldn’t see the logic in that, he had no idea. 

Thus, he decided he was leaving so he could hunt for himself. He headed East along the tree line for a while, before he heard loud yowling coming from the distance. There were cats yelling, as well as a loud screeching that Shadowpaw assumed to be a hawk or owl. Knowing that neither of those birds are very fun to run into, he picked up his pace. When he arrived at the scene, what he saw was pure chaos. A large rather large hawk was hovering in the air, with cats surrounding it, snarling and leaping. It had a small kit in its talons, which explained the cat's attack.  Shadowpaw was not going to let a kit die and waste a potential warrior on some lowborn bird. He unfurled his wings and took a running leap directly at the hawk. The throng of cats gasped in awe  at the winged figure who immediately sank his teeth and claws into the hawk, who then dropped the kit. Shadowpaw bit its neck to kill it, and flew back down onto the ground with its body in his jaws.

"Thank you so much! I thought we'd lost Dawnkit! That hawk just came out of nowhere, and she was playing outside of the nursery and it grabbed her and we all went after it and then you came and saved her!" A she-cat ran up to Shadowpaw, rambling on about how he saved the kit, who he assumed to be her daughter.

"I'm Hollybrook by the way. And this is Swallowbreeze, Nightmist, Baypaw, and Featherstripe, our deputy." She flicked her tail at a dark blue she-cat, a black she-cat, a grey she-cat, and a small dark blue tom who nodded as they were mentioned. “Who are you?”

"Um, I'm Shadowpaw." He stammered, not used to any cats other than his family. 

"Welcome to LagoonClan, Shadowpaw.” The grey tabby, Featherstripe, stepped forward. Behind her, Hollybrook was comforting her daughter as she scooped her up in her jaws. “You're not from Ripple Clan, are you? I don't think I’ve ever seen you at a Gathering. So why do you have an apprentice name if you don't have a Clan?" Featherstripe cocked her head in confusion.

“Well, um, my mother gave me the name because she follows the traditions made my Clans like yours. She has a warrior name too, and so does my father. I’m their apprentice along with my two sisters.” Shadowpaw raised his head higher, proud of who he was, as he should be.

“Alright. And I’m sure they won't miss you if  we take you back to camp? I’m sure Tidestar will love to meet you.” Shadowpaw shook his head slightly at her words. 

“Actually, I’m in the process of running away, and I was trying to find a Clan.”

“Well, you’ve come to the right place, and you sure made a wonderful first impression.” Featherstripe beckoned her Clanmates in the direction of their camp with her tail, nodding to Shadowpaw. “Now, be careful around our leader. He’s going through a tough time right now, so be gentle.” This remark got vigorous nods from the other cats, and Rushpaw even murmured: “Yeah. He’ll bite your head off if you even look at him funny these days.”

“Rushpaw! That was uncalled for!” Swallowbreeze hissed at him. She glanced at Shadowpaw. “It is true though. He’s on the verge of war with RippleClan over something extremely petty, and he’s at his wit’s end.”

“We’re trying to stop him but he won't listen to us! He just likes to fight!” Nightmist came up beside Shadowpaw, shaking her head in exasperation with her leader.

“All of you better shut up because we’re here. I hope you don’t mind getting your paws a little wet, because we have to cross here to get to the island.” Shadowpaw nodded, and followed the group across the land bridge to the island. “The camp is just up ahead; it's on the biggest island.” they crossed the water again before Featherstripe halted abruptly and turned to Shadowpaw and gestured widely with her paw. “Welcome to the LagoonClan camp!”

Shadowpaw gasped as he took it all in. The island was a sort of organized chaos. Cats were running to and fro from the sturdy palm-and-reed dens, shouting orders and calling names. Cats were fishing, bringing in fresh-kill, and yammering on about the comings and goings of their Clan life. A kit was nearly trampled as it brought a mouse to the biggest den, which he assumed to be Tidestar’s. There weren’t very many cats, but everyone was busy doing something. And doing it very, very loudly. Featherstripe ran to the big den calling out her leader’s name. A tired, raspy voice answered her, but Shadowpaw couldn't make out any words over the din of the camp. Featherstripe emerged from the den and called Shadowpaw over.

“Shadowpaw! He’s ready to see you now! Come on in! And don't forget what I told you!”

“Okay!” He yelled back, picking his way over to the den, being very careful not to get in anyone’s way. He entered the den and he sat down. The looked over the tom in front of him. He was a bright shade of blue, kind of like the ones in his mother’s own pelt. His massive paws were a faded white that contrasted well with the blue. His eyes, however, made Shadowpaw shiver. They were a deep, dark blue, like a hidden underwater cave in the pitch darkness of night. But they were wide and knowing, as if they could see into his soul. He felt like he was being carefully examined, and he did not like it at all. But he acted very polite.

“Hello, Tidestar. My name is Shadowpaw.” He held his head high and looked Tidestar in the eye, wanting respect from this strange cat.

“Yes, yes I know. Featherstripe told me about you. So you’re the one who saved Dawnpaw? You’re rather small. But those wings… That is most extraordinary, young one. And you seem to be able to use them. The way Featherstripe tells it, it was like you descended from StarClan.” Tidestar purred. “And she also told me that you ran away from home and would like to join our Clan.” He raised his eyebrows questioningly and gave Shadowpaw a pointed look.

“Yes. That is correct. I’ll stay only if you’ll have me.” Shadowpaw replied.

“Well, let me see. You have respect, unlike a lot of other cats your age, you seem to have great potential, you can hunt, and you saved the life of one of our Clan’s kits. You can stay. I think you’ll fit in quite nicely here. Oh, but you’ll need a mentor, won’t you? Hmm. I suppose I’ll be your mentor. I could teach you nicely, I believe. What do you say?”

“Yes, that sounds wonderful. Thank you so much! I promise I won’t let you down.” Shadowpaw beamed, purring. Tidestar got to his feet.

“I’d better tell the Clan of what happened.” Shadowpaw stepped out of the den to allow him to pass, Featherstripe at his tail. Tidestar opened his mouth and called his Clan together.

“Let all cats old enough to leave camp gather before me and hear my words!” The Clan cats immediately stopped what they were doing and walked over to in front of Tidestar.

“As you all know, today Dawnkit was almost carried off by a hawk. But what you don't know is who saved her from that horrible fate. Let me introduce to you my latest apprentice and the newest member of LagoonClan, Shadowpaw!” Tidestar stepped aside to let Shadowpaw be seen. A huge cheer swept throughout the camp, and Shadowpaw loved it. He smiled toothily and spread his wings, much to the crowd’s delight. They started to chant his name. 

“Shadowpaw! Shadowpaw! Shadowpaw!”

He loved all this attention, and he never wanted this to end. Maybe, if he hadn’t let this all go to his head, his fate may have been different.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 6 is on the way


End file.
